Dillo in italiano!
Say it in Italian!
An Italian friend was telling me about a workshop on fitness that she was planning to attend over the weekend. She was wondering about the dress code, the hotel hosting the event, and whether there would be a break to get a snack. Then she suggested we take a selfie.
With so many English words sprinkled into her Italian sentences, I wondered if she was speaking Italian or English. “Tutti e due” (both), she laughed, explaining that dropping English words into Italian conversations had become “a trend” (una tendenza) — one that many linguists are trying to change. Their argument: why use English when you can say the same thing in Italian?
My friend, for instance, could have said she was going to un seminario (di approfondimento) (workshop) on forma fisica (fitness) over the fine settimana (weekend) and was curious about the abbigliamento consigliato (dress code) and albergo (hotel) and whether there would a pausa caffè (coffee break). And she could have called our self-portrait un autoscatto rather than a selfie.
There are no precise Italian equivalents, the leaders of the “Dillo in italiano” campaign concede, for words such as “marketing,” “sport,” “browser,” and “smog.” However, there are corresponding words (parole corrispondenti) for many of the English invaders of la bella lingua. The group urges the use of the following, not as a protest against English, but as “un gesto d’orgoglio nei confronti della nostra amata lingua italiana” (a gesture of pride in regards to our beloved Italian language):
abstract — riassunto
appeal — attrazione
audience — pubblico
backstage — dietro le quinte
big — grande
boss — capo
brand — marca
business — affari
buyer — compratore
cash — contanti
coach — allenatore
concept — idea
community –- comunità
copyright –- diritto d’autore
device -– dispositivo
display -– schermo
fashion — moda
flop –- fiasco
food — cibo
gossip -– pettegolezzo
light -– leggero
look –- aspetto
mail -– posta
make up –- trucco
match -– partita
meeting –- riunione
mission –- missione
news –- notizie
open -– aperto
partner — compagno
party -– festa
premier –- primo ministro
relax –- riposo, rilassamento
show -– spettacolo
sexy –- seducente
staff –- personale
teenager -– adolescente
team — squadra
ticket — biglietto
web -– rete
Some English phrases have not won over Italians. I'm told that Italians preferiscono essere definiti (prefer to be described), not as “booklovers,” but as amanti dei libri. I do too.
Dianne Hales is the author of MONA LISA: A Life Discovered, now available in paperback, and LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.
